Making cheese again

I’m trying to get focused again on my cheese making adventure. Really. But now I just don’t have an appetite.

Before it was too cold to try and make cheese. Then I had gastric bypass surgery – which took away my desire to eat (and in some cases my ability to eat).

But now I think I can get back at it.  I can’t eat a lot of it – but the project still has appeal.

I have the equipment – so let’s see if I can make a go of it. It’s warmer outside now.

Luiz will appreciate my success. Stay tuned.

Qualidade de Vida

I’m sorry – can I say these words?  I am so glad I am not living in the United States of America.

Seriously - let’s look at the facts.

I earn a living by working about 15 hours a week.

I drink fresh fruit juice almost every day (name your fruit – I drink it – for cheap).

The Brazilian government is not chomping at the bit to invade another country.

Family is everything here. More than vacation or ice cream.

Health care for all citizens is mandated in the constitution.

Gay couples have the right to partner and get the subsequent benefits.

The beaches are perfect, and the people at the beaches blow you away.

OK – so taxes are high, but don’t sweat the small things.

Our housing bubble has not burst yet.

You can eat chicken hearts at almost every restaurant.

Men in Speedos look better than men in surfer shorts.

There are two huge specialty chocolate company chains competing for your loyalty.

Mango ice cream.

I have not worn laced up shoes (except sneakers) in three years.

Which Sunday is today?

Qualidade de vida, baby!

Danielle in Niteroí

Thanks for the long weekend visit, Danielle.  It was great to have you here.

We did the Blogger Meet-Up, naturally. But we also toured through Niteroí and went back into Rio several times to visit with Lindsey and Rachel. Fun!

One night we cooked up a fajita extravaganza. Yum!

Come back any time grrl, and next time we hope Alexandre is feeling better and can join us.

Blogger Meet-up in Rio – report back

Gathering at our point of departure.

Phew – it’s been a great weekend spending time with fellow bloggers. Saturday was our planned event in Rio which attracted a great crowd (many bloggers and their husbands, partners, children, etc.).

Inside the Arco do Tellez.

The Arco do Telles area is PACKED every weeknight for Happy Hour.

It was my intention to arrive early to stake out the meeting area and be a responsible leader.  But, the best laid plans… We missed our ferry and given that it was Saturday, the next ferry was 30 minutes later. So by the time we arrived there was already a good group gathered. Thanks to cell phones, everyone was informed of our delay, and some who arrived a bit later were able to hop into the tour in progress.

Confeitaria Columbo has hosted dignitaries and the rest of us for over 100 years.

We somehow stumbled upon these happy barber shop workers...

Luiz was his beaming, charming self as he walked us through some very historic streets, showing us an old home of Carmen Miranda’s and pointing out an ancient street which still has the small gutter running the length of the center of the street (aka: the old open sewer channel).

Rua da Carioca is fantastically scenic busy old street lined with historic archetecture.

While we wandered from historic site to historic building, only a few were open, and many are best seen during the week when you can enter and take tours of. Luiz and I did a lot of encouraging folks to return and spend more time discovering Rio’s history. There is SO MUCH to see we could have walked for three days!

After peeking into the modern Cathedral and walking under the Lapa arches, we made our way to Cinelandia and pulled about 6 tables together and settled in for a LONG and social lunch. While we did get up and switch seats now and again, it was still impossible to chat with everyone.  There were just so many of us present! The meet-up was a total success!

Not everybody (sorry) but a nice group shot at the restaurant Amerelinho in Cinelandia.

Blogger Meet-Up final reminder

We’re ready to go. Don’t miss the action. The Rio/Brazil expat blogger world is about to get smaller. We’re about to meet each other in the flesh (imagine that!)

On Saturday, July 16^th everyone is invited to join us for a blogger meet-up in Rio. It seems to be shaping up into two gatherings: one at 10:00 a.m. sharp at Master Velentim’s Fountain in Praça XV in Rio Centro for a walking tour of about two hours or so through historic sections of Centro, and other interesting parts of downtown.

The second part is lunch at Amarelinho on the square in Cinelandia (not an expensive place). That should be around 12:30 p.m. I’ve heard from some that they cannot make the walking tour, but they will join us for lunch.  Wonderful.

However you can join us – we are eager to see you.

People have confirmed their attendance from all over. It is sure to be a great time. Please plan to join us. Contact me if you have any questions.

See you Saturday!

Blogger Meet-Up – Update

 Thank you to everyone who responded to the initial post and who have continued with thoughts via email and Facebook.  Looks like we have a plan.

Mark your calendar: on Saturday, July 16^th we will meet in Praça XV in Rio at 10:00 a.m. for first a walking tour and then lunch thereafter at about 12:30 in Cinelandia. We will have a trained city guide leading the way (my partner Luiz).

Everyone is invited: bloggers (expats and otherwise), commenters, readers, lurkers – anybody. Just keep in mind that we are gathering for a social day where we will speak English with each other. Join us.

Here are the fun details:

We will meet at 10:00 sharp at the Master Velentim’s Fountain (old drinking water fountain) located in sort of the middle of the Praça.  From there we will walk through the Arco de Teles and into an ancient section of Rio where some of the streets are just as they were 300 years ago.

From there we will head downtown, past the Imperial Palace to the Tiradentes Palace. From there we will turn up into the thick of Centro, toward Rua da Carioca. On the way we will stop at Confeitaria Columbo, an historic and amazingly ornate place for tea and sweets.

Then back to Rua da Carioca, with its historic buildings and scenic backdrop.

After passing Praça Tiradents, when we get to Rua do Lavradio we will turn left and enjoy this cute, cute, cute street that is the center of antique shops in the City, plus multiple very cool restaurants.

Once we get to Av. Mem de Sá we will turn left and head to the Lapa arches.  We’ll walk under the arches and turn left and head toward Cinelandia.

Once in Cinelandia, with the Municipal Theater, the National Library and the National Museum of Arts in view, we will settle in for lunch at the 90 year old restaurant, Amarelinho.

For people who want to skip the walking tour, plan to meet up with us around 12:30 p.m. at Amarelinho. You might want to get a cell phone number from one of us so you can time your arrival and not wait too long.

Sound like fun?  Come join us!

Time for a Blogger Meet-Up in Rio

On the very exciting occasion of Danielle and Alexandre visiting Rio/Niterói, I’m proposing another Blogger Meet-Up.  Mark your calendar: Saturday, July 16^th. Time and location tbd, leave a comment if you have a fun suggestion.

The first time we got together, well over a year ago, several of us met at a kiosk on Ipanema beach.  Cold beer, small plates of bar food, and lots of English conversation.  Nice!

The next time we met was on Itaipú beach in Niterói. Sun, sunscreen, beer and food – and lots of English conversation. Sweet!

For our next meet-up should we venture into an interesting neighborhood in Rio?  The historic district just north of Praça XV is visually stunning, rich in historic buildings, churches and museums and has LOTS of barzinhos and restaurants.  People could arrive early and walk around, then we could meet at a particular watering hole.  Or we could wander the area together.

Or how about Jardim Botânico?  It’s a very peaceful place to walk and take in the smell of green (and Danielle could point out the interesting birds). There’s not really an interesting place to sit and enjoy a drink and lunch. The snack bar in the park is pretty lame, food-wise.  But there are appropriate places in the adjoining neighborhood.  That could be fun.

I suppose a return to the beach is never a mistake, especially for folks like Danielle, who will be in town on a rare visit.

So what do you think?  Again – mark your calendar. Plan on joining us. We’ll work out the details in the coming weeks.  And wherever we decide, it will be accessible by bus or Metro.

Oh, and light a candle in an appeal to the weather spirits that things WARM UP!

UPDATE: Luiz reminded me that he is prepared to provide a walking tour of the historic Praça XV area (where Rio began) and describe the history, archetecture, etc.  Very chic... It would be a couple hours, including a lunch stop. Totally flexible. Something to consider.

Dia dos Namorados

This is a heads-up to all the expats currently living in Brazil: Don’t forget that Sunday is Valentine’s Day.

The good thing is that we get two Valentine’s Days each year: February 14th and June 12th. The bad news is that it is a pain trying to remember the date here in Brazil (if you somehow miss the TV advertising, the storefront window displays, and the hints perhaps dropped by your loved one).

I’m told that in Brazil the date is in June to move it out from under the cloud of Carnaval, which overshadows everything in the early months of the year. The anniversary of the Christian Bishop Valentine’s beheading for performing clandestine weddings apparently is not sufficient to keep the date February 14th, but the eve of Christian Saint Anthony’s feast day (the marriage or matchmaker saint) fits the bill. (I’m sure Ray will clear this up.)

If I remember my folklore right – if you want to find a mate to marry you can bury a statue of Saint Anthony upside-down and scold it, insisting he find you a match. You then leave poor Anthony there until he delivers.

When I was growing up in Michigan, Saint Anthony was known as the patron saint of lost causes. Hmmm, I wonder if there is a connection…

At any rate, don’t forget your special someone on Sunday.

Oh, and from the eternal wisdom of Dan Savage, venerated radical sex advice columnist, if you are looking for a little coochie coochie on Valentines Day – DO NOT first load up on dinner and drinks expecting to come home and do the deed. You will just hit the bed and fall asleep. Play first, then go out to dinner to celebrate! ** Ear muff the kids. NSFW. Watch Dan explain. Adult content.

How did I get here?

And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack.
And you may find yourself in another part of the world.
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile.
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife.
And you may ask yourself - Well...How did I get here?

Teaching English and providing written translation in Brazil.  WTF?  My past includes more than 20 years of professional management experience, managing million dollar budgets, schmoozing with the mayor. And now… correcting pronunciation and explaining common grammar errors.  

And you may ask yourself
How do I work this?
And you may ask yourself
Where is that large automobile?
And you may tell yourself
This is not my beautiful house!
And you may tell yourself
This is not my beautiful wife!

I just did a little inventory.  I have 34 lists of conversation questions, 25 lists of idioms, 76 lesson plans based on current events, 35 pages of song lyrics, and 40 vocabulary lists (plus much more). I’ve become an English teacher.

And you may ask yourself
What is that beautiful house?
And you may ask yourself
Where does that highway go?
And you may ask yourself
Am I right?...Am I wrong?
And you may tell yourself
MY GOD!...WHAT HAVE I DONE?

Somehow I have carved out a niche. I have attracted clients. I have created a rhythm that pays the bills, but does not consume me in the process.  Luiz and I have made the transition.

Same as it ever was...Same as it ever was...Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...Same as it ever was...Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...Same as it ever was...

Country comparisons, the macro version

 Comparing things in Brazil to things left behind in our country of origin is a favorite pastime for many expats, at least among the newbies.  I’ve found that these comparisons start out listing all the wonderful new things discovered in Brazil that were either not available in the States (or wherever) or are simply way better here (like varieties of bananas or singing at BBQs).

Over time the comparisons switch to the quality of consumer products, or maybe the lack of certain items here in Brazil.

If we don’t check ourselves, the comparisons can spiral out of control and turn into ugly, whiny, bitch sessions.

One of the first realizations expats need to come to, in my opinion, is: DON’T COMPARE.  It will only make you crazy, and probably not a lot of fun to be around. Just live locally and love it.

However – I’ve found this really cool website that ranks countries in terms of numerous points of comparison, like: population, health, crime, sports, wealth, etc.  So let’s have some fun.

Retail shrinkage (shop lifting) as % of sales, 2010.        Brazil:  1.64        USA: 1.5

Prevalence of adult obesity, 2010.       Brazil: male 8.9%, female 13.1%           USA: male 32.2%, female 35.5%

Greenest countries, most livable places, 2008.   Brazil ranks 40^th          USA ranks 23^rd

Prison population, per 100,000 people.          Brazil: 191         USA: 738

Price of a Big Mac in US$, 2010.          Brazil:  US$5.10          USA: US$3.73

Road traffic deaths, per 100,000 people, 2009.          Brazil: 18.3         USA: 13.9

Circumcised men (%), 2006.    Brazil: 7.4%      USA: >80%

Women in Parliament, 2011.    Brazil: 8.6%      USA: 16.8%

Diabetes prevalence, % of adult population, 2010.      Brazil: 6%       USA: 12.3%

World Cup football championships.  – OK, not fair…

You can find a lot of fun facts to know and tell at this website.

Expatriate Salary Purchasing Power Parity

 Let me start out by saying that I am neither an economist nor a human resources professional.  I’m sharing here some information I have learned from mining the depths of Google, trying to stitch it all together into a coherent post.  Learning about the comparative realities of living here or in the USA (I’m sticking to just one country for simplicity’s sake) is both fun for the expat (“I knew I wasn’t crazy – that shit is expensive!”) and cautionary for the lovebirds contemplating a move figuring it will all work out somehow (goddess bless them!).

The first thing to understand is that economies are different on many different levels: the price of things, the salaries people can earn, the taxes one pays, the non-cash (and deferred cash)  benefits people earn over time, how value depreciates over time, how the banking and credit systems operate, what services are provided by the government, etc.  In the case of Brazil and the USA – believe me – they are two different worlds that do not easily equate/translate.

Most travelers think in terms of the currency exchange rate: “Oh Brazil will be an affordable vacation destination; the exchange rate is in our favor, unlike London (for example).”  Which may well be true, but moving here to live, work and retire is another matter altogether.

For the new resident, the impulse is to do a quick calculation in your head converting currencies to decide if something is expensive or not.  But currency exchange rates give misleading comparisons because they do not reflect salary purchasing power differences.

To try and sort this all out (OK, not all of it, but enough to wrap your head around it) let’s look at three different ideas: cost of living, salary purchasing power parity, and comparative salaries across borders.  This is a vastly simplified view, but as I came to discover online, this notion of understanding how one’s life will change financially when moving abroad is insanely complex and has birthed a whole industry of companies willing to sell you “calculators” and personalized reports to help you see into your future.

Cost of living.  

To help me understand this topic I relied heavily on the website http://www.xpatulator.com/ where they lay things out in a pretty simple way and offer more detailed analysis for a fee.

Simply put, the cost of living is the cost of maintaining a certain standard of living. When comparing the cost of living between different locations the objective is to calculate the difference in the cost of living expressed as an index, or a broad set of cost points that you can compare in each location.

So in the case of the cost of living comparisons listed at Xpatulator they take 13 different “baskets” of costs – things like groceries, furniture and appliances, education, healthcare, household costs, personal care, recreation and culture, transportation, etc.  and compare these aggregate expenses – this index.

Using their index they came up with this ranking of the most expensive cost of living locations in the world.

April 2011 Cost of Living Ranking: Country, City

1. Japan, Tokyo
2. Venezuela, Caracas
3. China, Hong Kong
4. Switzerland, Geneva
5. Switzerland, Zurich
6. Japan, Osaka
7. Brazil, Sao Paulo
8. Japan, Nagoya
9. Liechtenstein, Vaduz
10. Norway, Oslo
11. Brazil, Rio de Janeiro
12. Australia, Sydney
13. Japan, Yokohama
14. Brazil, Brasilia
15. Australia, Canberra
16. Denmark, Copenhagen
17. Russia, Moscow
18. China, Shanghai
19. Angola, Luanda
20. United Kingdom, London
21. Vanuatu, Port Vila
22. Australia, Melbourne
23. Australia, Perth
24. Korea Republic of, Seoul
25. Singapore, Singapore

New York City in the US of A is listed as #43.  You can see it is no longer all about the US front and center.  The WORLD (including Brazil) has become an expensive place to live!

Salary purchasing power parity.

According to the folks at www.Xpatulator.com the core strategy driving expatriate pay programs globally is the principle of protecting an employees’ domestic income and spending power, irrespective of global location. In the short term, exchange rates, even when averaged over a period of time such as a year, are not a good measure of the comparative value of a salary in relation to its comparative international purchasing power.

In simple terms the salary purchasing power parity is the rate of salary purchasing power that equalizes the purchasing power of different currencies, given the relative cost of the same basket of goods at the exchange rate versus the US Dollar. 

But I would add there are still differences in the QUALITY of the goods and services bought.  For example, a home washer and dryer in the Sates might finish a load of jeans from start to finish in less than 2 hours.  In Brazil is could take upwards of 5 hours. Or hiring a plumber to reroute your water lines to remodel your kitchen may take half a day in the states and four days here, depending on who your local plumber guy is, and given the concrete nature of building construction here.

Comparative Salaries.

This one may or may not surprise you.  Brazilians (and expats finding employment in the local market) earn jack shit compared to their US American counterparts. [You have to separate out those US workers who are working here with an international company earning a US wage – more on that later.]

Where was I? Oh yeah – jack shit.  For this section I am relying on some dated information, but it was the only good listing of salaries I could find AND that compared the same jobs between the USA and Brazil.  Special thanks to Expat American Living in Brazil and a post he posted some time ago.

So the salaries are a bit old (2001 – 2004), which could mean the numbers cited are low-balling it.  Actually, given the boom in the economy in Brazil of late (and governmental increases in the minimum salary), chances are the salaries are now a bit higher in Brazil. But given the serious economic realities in the US of late, the salaries listed may not be all too off.  In any case, I am trying to compare apples to apples – even if they are slightly old.

I’ve taken just 6 typical jobs across the spectrum for comparison.  Go here if you want to knock yourself out with additional comparisons.  I’m offering the somewhat current currency conversion rate of US$1 : R$1.65 and expressing the US American salary in both dollars and reais for ease and because we are looking from the living-in-Brazil perspective.

Are you sitting?  Monthly salaries, on average.

Computer programmer: Brazil – R$4,114  USA – US$3,088 (R$5,095)  +24%

Teacher: Brazil – R$745  USA – US$4,055 (R$6,691)  +798%

Accountant: Brazil – R$3,671  USA – US$3,370 (R$5,561)  +51%

Professional Nurse: Brazil – R$1,766  USA – US$3,168 (R$5,227)  +196%

Car Mechanic: Brazil – R$649  USA – US$2,526 (R$4,168)  +542%

Bus driver: Brazil – R$762  USA – US$1,594 (R$2,630)  +245%

Ouch.  So now if you loop around back to the cost of living: rent, the price of a car, a movie ticket, a new computer… the reality is that these prices can be significantly higher here in Brazil (cars are R$40,000 – R$75,000 easy) yet the earning power of workers is significantly lower than those in the USA.

In short: if you move from the USA to Brazil - you are going to take a hit, maybe a BIG hit.  Lower wages, higher consumer prices. I’ll repeat what is often said: Brazil is not for beginners.

If you are looking for a reason why Brazilian children live with their parents well into adulthood (perhaps even all their life), look no further than how scarce money is and how expensive everything else is.

The lucky ones are those expats who are working here for their foreign company and are earning a wage that their company has calculated will provide for the same relative spending power as back home and as a result provide for a similar standard of living here.  That’s why their salaries appear so great. But even if you ask them, I bet they will report having to live on a budget.

The moral of the story for Luiz and I is to live simply and to be as local as possible.  We do miss the extra income that allowed us to be globe trotters for many years.  But we work so much less now and enjoy so much more quality time together.  We did not move to Brazil to get rich, or even to live large.  We moved to re-prioritize our lives.  And that we have done.

My advice?  Save a boat load of bucks before you make your move.  You will need it to help smooth the transition.

OK – so that’s my best swing at it. What do you think?  What did I get wrong?  What would you add?

Getting to Know Brazil - A Reading Tour

Regina over at Deep Brazil (“Way Beyond Carnival”) offered me an opportunity to guest post about books I’ve read that have helped me understand Brazil, its history, its people, culture and politics.

It was fun to sum up my reading experiences.  In the process I discovered I can be a bit heavy in my choices of reading materials. LOL! I admit I read some of those books before my current fiction binge began.

One of the books: “Dance Lest We All Fall Down” was sent to me a couple months ago by Danielle, via Fiona (when she still lived in Brazil). Very nice.

Go take a look at the post – and be sure to add your suggestions for what people should read before they come for a visit or decide to take the big plunge.

If you see a title you like, check and see if it is available for lending at our Expat Lending Library online (come join us and share your English language books!), or you can click on the book cover image to buy a copy from Amazon.com.

Happy reading.

Why I blog

[Dove-tailing off of Rachel’s recent post.]

In the beginning I thought I would blog because it would save me from having to write 20 emails a week to my friends and family back in the States.  I could keep them informed without it being a big, laborious deal.

With a red face I am here to say that my friends and family did not care that much. I don’t get regular emails from folks “back home” who want to know how I am doing – it never happened. And when I sent them emails it was typically days or weeks before I heard back.  That’s just the fact of the matter.

Shame on me for thinking I would be a significant object of their attention – or a preoccupation, just because Luiz and I chose to leave town.  People’s lives are busy, things are complicated, they have a gazillion issues pressing to be priorities.  In general, we have not made the cut.

I don’t blame anyone.  We left them… How dare us to expect a primary place in their focus after we were gone? We had to grow up. We made our bed –and now we are sleeping in it. (Side note: I am SO GLAD we brought a quality mattress from the US!)

So why do I blog? I no longer do it for my family and friends. (Over the past three years I may have gotten one or two comments from family members.)

Blogging fills a social purpose. I have made online friends who also blog. Blogging gives me a chance to speak to the universe of potential readers in a way that may be helpful or amusing in some way. Blogging lets me think I have a voice in the world (no matter how miniscule). Blogging provides an English environment in which to spend time during an otherwise trying Portuguese-filled day. Blogging allows me to write – something I enjoy.

FaceBook has filled in for a lot of the daily chatter.  I connect with a lot of old friends there.  More so than via email.

But blogging has become a new adventure, a new platform, a fresh environment in which to make social connections.  This old dog has learned a new trick.

So far so good.  Thanks for being a part of this adventure.

Finding gainful employment in Brazil

This post is for the newbies.  Perhaps some of the regulars can add your comments, including tips and strategies. I am certainly no top authority on this, but I can lay some groundwork.  Other bloggers have covered this territory before me.

I get a lot of emails from people who have found my blog and are thinking of also moving to Brazil (to be with their partner, to escape from back home, to turn the page in their life, to learn Portuguese, whatever).  Their main question goes something like this: “I am a professional accountant (or physical trainer, or engineer, or project manager, or radio broadcaster, or…) and I’d like to know how easy it would be for me to find a good job in Brazil.

Sitting next to my keyboard is a long shiny needle I keep on hand to burst these bubbles when they come to my inbox.  Sorry. Unless I have missed something, finding good employment in Brazil is never “easy” and the notion of being a professional in a field in the US (or Canada, or Australia, etc.) is different than here, where the key is a specific university degree in a specific field (and usually that degree must be from a public university to boot).  But I’m getting ahead of myself.

First things first.  You have to be legally able to work (via various visa routes) or your options shrink to casual labor, under the table consulting and of course: teaching English in one way or another. Job security, health benefits, paid time off, retirement income, career possibilities – these all come first in the form of a Carteira de Trabalho, a lovely bureaucratic relic of times gone by that records in one handy booklet information about all your jobs/employers/dates of employment/salary, etc.  This book is golden when it comes to earning a living wage with benefits (and generous unemployment compensation should you ever be let go by your employer).  No legal visa with working rights – no Carteira de Trabalho.

Some people don’t have to sweat this quite so much.  They have moved here because their partner has a position they obtained while still in their country of origin that pays nicely and may come with some pretty sweet benefits.  For them working is more about keeping busy and mindfully occupied. 

But if you just want to come and live here for a while – and work – be careful what you wish for.

Oh – and how is your Portuguese?

Another big factor in terms of getting a job in your field is where will you be living?  If you dive into a metropolis like São Paulo – you’ve got some options.  Brazilian companies may see your international experience and language skills as an asset and give you a chance.  Smaller cities and towns (which may be beautiful to live in) have no such incentive.

For many, a move to Brazil is NOT about kick-starting an exciting, new, lucrative career. Rather, it is about getting the heck OUT of the consumerist rat race than can be the hallmark of US American work careers and trying out an alternative approach to ones quality of life (Luiz and I resemble this remark.)  So living in the mega-city that is São Paulo (even with its wonderful cultural and culinary options) was not our first choice.  The smaller the city, the fewer your employment options.

Then there is the hurdle that is your résumé.  Employers expect to see included: your age, your gender, your marital status, your race (they will ask for a picture), do you have kids… all of which is illegal in the USA for reasons of employment discrimination.  If it is illegal here I have not seen too much compliance. Friends have commented again and again about age discrimination, marital status discrimination, being told that only candidates from public universities are considered (it’s a class thing) and the need to have a degree in exactly the field of the position you are applying for.

Take me, for example, I have a Masters in Clinical Psychology and twenty years of experience as a non-profit executive director.  I’ve managed medium large staffs and $15 million dollar budgets.  But my degree qualifies me to be a counselor, not a manager.  Unless I can get through the front door via a personal connection, my résumé does not suffice.

Again, maybe I have missed something.  I have not really beaten down the doors of businesses looking for a new career, but I have had dozens and dozens of conversations with others (Brazilians) who have.

Luiz came prepared to start his own floral design business. We hired a lawyer and a tax accountant to help with the paperwork.  It took about 6 months to get everything settled.  Back in San Francisco it took Luiz about 16 minutes to open a small business.  So keep your eyes wide open about entrepreneurial ambitions as well.  Brazilians are exceptionally clever and hardworking when it comes to building a business.  The competition is no cake walk.

And so I, like so many other expats, teach English and provide cross-cultural business consulting and written translation services.  It’s not glamorous, but it’s good work if you can find it.  I worked briefly in a couple language schools, but they are nearly all “puppy mills” that pay shit and offer no real, reasonable work days (but the benefits are nice, if they will sign your work book).  But I would hate to try and live on that salary.

Together Luiz and I have found a sweet spot in which we work as much as we want and enjoy our quieter quality of life.  At this point word of mouth referrals keep us both in enough clients to make it work. But we are over 50 and have a lifetime of savings and assets to keep the wolves at bay.  I’m glad we did not try this at 30.

Surely there are those who have found a path of less resistance than I have described here.  But as is so often repeated: “Brazil is not for beginners.” Think carefully (and save heftily) before you make the jump.  The rewards can be life changing and affirming.  They certainly have been for us.

Fellow expats – what did I get wrong? What did I forget? What would you add?  Let’s help out the newbies.